Wait, There Was a Fifth Marauder?
by skittles324
Summary: "Wait…there was a fifth marauder?" "And it was a girl?" "And she was in SLYTHERIN?" There was indeed a secret girly marauder with a dark past, a great talent, and a sexy strut. She helped shape the lives of our favorite characters, making a few friends and enemies along the way. Sirius x OC. James x Lily. And lots of marauder fun! Could be considered AU just because of the OC.
1. Kid's Gotta Learn Sometime

_Hello everyone! Skittles324 is back and with a brand new rap. Welcome to "The Fifth Marauder." Hopefully the description brought you in and you're here to stay! Just a heads up, there is a four-part prologue before I really set into the story. This first part of the prologue is set in the usual Harry Potter universe, with Harry and friends. The rest of the story will be set pre-Harry Potter. I am hoping to post a new chapter every Sunday evening (and maybe even an extra chapter during the week if I'm feeling good about the pacing, we'll see). I have a small chunk of this story planned out, and I'm expecting it to be long, so settle in! Please follow, favorite, and review. I enjoy constructive criticism, so feel free to use it, and I always laugh at the flames. Well, I think I've done enough talking now lol._

_Welcome to my pre-Harry Potter world and **Enjoy!**_

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><p>Prologue, Part 1: Kid's Gotta Learn Sometime<p>

Summer 1995: 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

Harry and his friends were sitting at number 12 Grimmauld Place, hiding from Molly Weasly. They all held their breath as the door to the old parlor creaked open and in walked…

"What are you all—?"

"SHHHHHHHHH!"

The group breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled the two grown men into the room. Ron went to the door, looked down both ends of the hallway, and then closed the creaky door slowly before rejoining the now larger group on the faded couches.

"We're hiding from my mum," Ron whispered. "This cleaning spree is making me wish summer was over and we were back at Hogwarts!"

Sirius laughed. "Good to know that old bat wasn't getting on just my nerves!"

"Sirius!" Remus scolded him.

Sirius had enough decency to shrug an apology at Ron before sitting down next to Harry. "So, what are you all up to?"

"I was just enlightening them to the importance of our O.W.L.s," Hermione said. "This year is going to go by so fast, I can just feel it. Before we know it, it'll be time for some of the most important exams of our lives!"

"I wouldn't call them the 'most important,'" Remus said kindly. "They're really not that different than your usual end of term exams."

"I remember taking our O.W.L.s. Merlin, was that really 20 years ago…" Sirius' voice faded away, as well as the light in his eyes.

Ron suddenly perked up, his back straightening, making him almost the tallest man in the room. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you guys, how did you make the Marauder's Map?"

Sirius winked at Remus while Remus just simply shook his head, smiling. "Sorry mates, Marauder secret. We keep it to the grave."

"That map sure was the devil to make," Remus said. "Took us all two years to complete it. We really couldn't have made it work without Cherry, though."

The threesome looked confused, even Hermione (a rare sight to see, indeed.)

"Cherry?"

Sirius and Remus avoided all the eyes in the room, but each had a small, sad smile on their face.

"Well," Remus started. "Cherry was sort of an un-honorary Marauder."

"Wait…there was a _fifth_ marauder?" Harry asked.

"Sort of. She—"

"And it was a _girl_?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Sirius chuckled. "She was a girl, alright."

Hermione was now on the edge of her seat. "What was she like?"

Remus and Sirius exchanged looks and smiled. "Well—"

"She was crazy," Sirius interrupted. "She was bold, sneaky..."

"And one of the most talented witches I've ever met," Remus added in.

"And boy was she great on a broomstick! She was the Seeker on the Slytherin team and—"

"She was in _SLYTHERIN_?!" The whole group laughed as Ron looked like he was about to have a heart attack right there on the parlor room floor.

Sirius smiled remembering the one girl in school you did _not_ want to cross. Even just looking at her wrong got your legs locked together for a good three hours.

_She was so beautiful…_

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_


	2. Memories May Seem Beautiful

_Well, this is awkward…I forgot to put a disclaimer in my first chapter! But in case you didn't know, I am not the fabulous J. K. Rowling, and I certainly don't pretend to be. I'm just using her characters and her universe and making some slight changes lol._

_Also, I don't pretend to know even a little bit of French. There are some French phrases in here and if you notice any mistakes, please please please tell me. I speak just one language and it is certainly not French._

_Thank you to all who put this story on your "Story Alert" list, even just after reading the first chapter! Things like that always make me squeal like a little school girl lol._

_This is the second part in my four part prologue (sorry for that by the way, I have a lot of set up lol). The first part was set in our regular HP universe; here we are going back exactly 30 years to pre-Marauder era. Hope you __**Enjoy!**__ it._

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><p>Prologue, Part 2: Memories May Seem Beautiful…<p>

Summer 1965: Le Domaine le Clère, outside of Dreux, France

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

"Oh this is all just too exciting! It's so beautiful here. Don't you agree, dear?" Druella turned to her husband, Cygnus, for his response, but he simply continued to stare out directly in front of him. Druella turned around in her seat and looked at her three daughters. "What do you girls think?"

Her oldest, Bellatrix, ignored Druella and continued to look out the side window, sulking. Her next daughter, Andromeda, smiled appropriately and said "Yes, Mother." Druella then looked at her youngest, Narcissa, who was also sulking. "Cissy, what's wrong?"

The ten year old looked up at her mother. "I don't want to be here."

"Well, me neither!"

The whole car, except for Cygnus, looked at Bellatrix. "I don't know _why_ we had to tag along on this little business trip. It's so unfair! I should be home, relaxing, instead of in this awful country being forced to sit in some stupid house all summer with a five-year-old!"

"Bellatrix, that is quite enough!" Druella scolded her daughter. "Now, I know how you feel about all of this, but try to make the best of it, won't you? I'm not going to force you to play with this little girl but you will _not_ shame this family by being a little brat, am I understood?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good. Now, everyone, straighten your clothes, I think we're almost there."

Druella Black was right—after another mile their car, and the one trailing behind it, pulled up to a large iron gate that opened upon their arrival. The two cars went through and the gates swung shut with a very loud _CLANG!_

Regulus jumped at the loud noise, making his older brother, Sirius, roll his eyes. "Are we there yet?" he asked.

"Soon, son. I see the house now," Orion answered.

Sirius moved so that he could see past the car ahead of them and tried to make out what was up the road. "I still don't see anything."

"Sirius would you just sit down, be quiet, and keep still!" His mother snapped.

He huffed, but otherwise the six year old boy sat back in his seat, discontent with just having his side window to stare out of.

At long last, the two cars pulled around into the circular driveway and all the passengers stepped out, staring up at the magnificent house, no, _manor_, that was before them.

"Wooow…" The three sisters echoed together.

"This place is _brilliant_!" Druella cried.

Walburga Black rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law and took charge of the assembled party. "Alright you lot, remember your manners. Madame le Clère and her daughters are the descendants of the fifth son of the last king of France and I will _not_ have anyone embarrassing themselves. Or me. So backs straight, eyes forward, and remember your bows and curtsies. Now, let's go."

The five children did their best to stop their fidgeting and followed their respective parents up to the door where a young woman in a plain black dress greeted them, showing them all into the foyer. "Madame le Clère will be down in a moment," she said, her French accent heavy. And with that the woman was gone.

"Cygnus Black! Good of you to come. And I can see you've brought your family."

Everyone looked up as an Englishman walked down the large staircase, a young woman trailing slowly behind him. He shook hands with Cygnus before stepping back and taking in the company. "You simply must introduce us all."

The woman said something to the man, in French. He looked momentarily annoyed before putting on that bright demeanor again. "Of course, of course. My wife just reminded me, we should assemble the whole household before we begin introductions. I must say though, it's been some time since I've seen you! How have you been?"

Sirius tuned out the adults and instead looked around the foyer. Everything looked so…_clean_. And certainly expensive. His mother would kill him if he touched anything. And then he saw her.

She was staring directly at him, a curious expression on her face. She was half-hiding behind an archway, long waves of honey colored hair hanging down to the middle of her back. She seemed to stare right through him.

"_Bonjour_, everyone."

Sirius looked up as another woman came down the stairs. She appeared to be in her sixties, with gray hair piled atop her head and a deep blue dress that fell to the floor. Four other women, with the same honey colored hair as the little girl, descended after her. The four women joined the first woman at the end of the stairs and it was then that Sirius realized they were all sisters. All appeared to be in their late twenties with honey hair and eyes the color of sapphires. They were all beautiful and commanded attention. They also wore the same, blank expression.

The older woman came forward, standing next to the man. "My name is Madame le Clère. It is a pleasure to meet you all," she said, her smile cold as ice. "Welcome to my home."

"A pleasure, Madame le Clère," Cygnus bowed in front of the woman, kissing her hand. "My name is Cygnus Black. May I introduce my family? My wife, Druella, and my daughters, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa." Sirius watched as his aunt and cousins curtsied in front of the old woman.

The Madame looked at Orion and said, "And who are you?"

Sirius watched his father bow and kiss the Madame's hand, as well. "Orion Black, madam. And this is my wife, Walburga, and my sons, Sirius and Regulus."

Walburga kicked her oldest son's shin when he forgot to bow and Sirius immediately stumbled before recovering his balance and giving a perfect bow. A beautiful, melodic giggle echoed off the walls of the foyer.

Sirius looked up from his bow to see confusion on his family's faces, and complete astonishment on all of the Frenchwomen's faces. They were looking straight at where the little girl had been hiding. Sirius followed their gazes and there she was.

She had come out from hiding and was walking toward him. Her dark eyes sparkled and her hair bounced against her back as she came forward. "_Bonjour_," she said, extending her right hand to him, palm faced down. There was an odd bruise-like color to her pinky finger.

"_Bonjour_," he said, taking her hand and bowing, this time perfectly. In turn, the girl curtsied in front of him, dipping low, her nose almost brushing his shoes. Sirius heard one (maybe two?) of the Frenchwomen gasp.

The girl stood, her smile so bright. "_Quel est votre nom?_"

Sirius panicked. He didn't know much French. "Um…_pardon_?"

One of the women, the one who had originally come down to meet them, whispered something in French. The girl looked over at the woman before nodding and then turning back to Sirius. She smiled that wide smile again. "What is your name?"

Her accent was thick, but at least it was English. "My name is Sirius Black. What's yours?"

"Chérie Marie Louise Marguerite Clémentine le Clère."

The girl giggled beautifully again as Sirius looked completely lost and bewildered. "You may call me 'Louise.' Everyone else does."

Suddenly the man said something, only it was in _another_ language. Sirius didn't recognize it. It sounded like how snakes talk to each other.

Louise went up to the man and held his hand; she looked young, and so bright in her white dress.

"Everyone," the man said, "this is my daughter, Louise. Behind me is my wife and sisters-in-law: Adèle, Constance, Cecile, Marie, and Alix." Each woman nodded as, presumably, her name was called.

The man again addressed Louise in that strange language. She nodded and again bounded over to Sirius. "Would you like to go for a walk?" She asked him.

Sirius glanced up at his mother, wondering if this was allowed, but she wasn't looking at him so he simply smiled and nodded.

Louise grabbed his hand and brought him through the archway she had previously been hiding behind. She led him into a very large, but rather empty, room. "This is the _salle de bal_—our ballroom," Louise explained. "My favorite room in the whole manor. Now let's go outside, _chassez-moi_!"

Louise ran ahead of Sirius, having him chase her across the polished ballroom floor and through a set of doors leading out to a courtyard. Sirius slowed and looked at the beauty surrounding him.

The courtyard floor was a beautiful mosaic of grey and blue swirls, all leading to a fountain that quietly trickled water in the center of the yard. A series of arches ran along each of the four walls, a terrace wrapped around the top of them, showing the second floor. White roses bloomed in pots everywhere.

Sirius watched as Louise approached the fountain and leaned over, sipping water from it. She used the back of her hand to wipe excess water from her lips. "Would you like some?" She asked sweetly.

Sirius approached her and stuck his head near the stream hesitantly.

"_Il est l'eau_. It is just water, it will not poison you." Sirius looked up and saw Louise staring at him with a strange look on her face. He again leaned forward and allowed his lips to touch the clean water. It tasted good. It tasted _really_ good. Sirius drank greedily from the fountain and didn't notice when Louise moved closer to him, she, too, drinking from the water.

Suddenly, Sirius _did_ notice Louise, and it was just as her face moved closer to his. Their lips touched.

Sirius stood very, very still, his eyes wide as Louise placed her lips onto his. He felt light-headed, his heart raced, and his mind went completely blank.

After a few moments, Louise drew away and, like before, wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She cocked her head to the side, assessing him. "Do you know how to ride a horse?" She asked him.

Sirius, still in a stake of shock, simply shook his head.

Louise gave him a small smile. "Come," she said, "_Je vais vous apprendre_. I will teach you."

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

Sirius and Louise sat in the second floor parlor, playing wizard's chess. Constance sat reading, actively ignoring the giggling pair.

"Why do you have so many names?" Sirius asked.

Constance muttered something under her breath.

"What did she say?" Sirius whispered to Louise.

"_Tradition_," she whispered back. "Everyone in our family has five names. Like my mother. Her full name is Hedwig Adelaide Adwige Gisele Adèle le Clère. Though most of the time people call her Adèle since that is such a mouthful."

Constance made a big show of clearing her throat and glaring at the two children. Louise smiled sweetly at her aunt and turned back to the chessboard.

"Does your father have five names, too?"

Louise ignored Constance's heavy sigh and answered, "No, he only has two. But I don't know what they are."

"You don't know what your father's name is?"

Louise shrugged. "I just simply call him '_Père_'—Father."

There was a knock at the door and Constance's twin, Cecile, came into the room. "_Venez, nièce. Il est temps pour les leçons_."

Louise turned to her aunts. "_Je viens_."

Both Constance and Cecile left and Louise made to go with them. "I have to go; it's time for my lessons."

"What kind of lessons?" Sirius asked.

"Dancing, singing, drawing. Just this past spring my Aunt Alix has been teaching me to play the piano. And my mother takes me for walks and we simply just…chat. About magic and history and anything else we can think of."

"These are _lessons_?"

"_Oui_. Don't you have lessons?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered. "But I'm learning to read and do math. I don't go on walks or learn to draw."

Louise looked almost sad. "That's a shame. These are all very important things."

From then on, all the Black children were invited to tag along when Louise had lessons. Most of the time they avoided it, but each child could occasionally be seen conveniently nearby when Louise was learning a new drawing technique, or a new song on the piano. Every child, except for Sirius. Louise's father insisted that Sirius attend all of Louise's lessons with her, having them spend as much time as possible together.

When it came to Louise's dance lessons, the Aunts weren't really sure what to do with a little boy while their niece danced around the ballroom in her pretty pink _tutu_. It was Madame le Clère who suggested the small children learn to waltz. And so that's what they did. By the end of the summer, Sirius and Louise were often seen twirling around the ballroom together, even long after their lessons had ended for the day.

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

"_Voulez-vous me manquer_?"

It was the end of the summer and Sirius and Louise had been inseparable for the past two months. The pair was lying in the grass, looking for shapes in the clouds.

"Of course I'll miss you," Sirius answered. He looked over at the girl lying next to him and watched as that sweet smile came over her face.

"_Bon_."

Sirius laughed. "Do you _want_ me to miss you?"

"Of course. If you miss me, then maybe you will come back," she answered.

The pair went back to their sky-gazing and lapsed into silence for a while.

"Will you miss _me_?" Sirius asked.

Louise shrugged. "Maybe."

Sirius sat upright, the better to scold her with. "What do you mean 'maybe'?"

Louise laughed her sweet melodic laugh at him. "I cannot predict my feelings. Who knows, maybe I will just be having too much fun in Paris to be missing you. You will be stuck in smelly old London with nothing to do—of course you'll miss me."

Sirius huffed and stood, walking deeper into the forest. Louise stood as well. "Sirius, come back!"

"Why should I do that?" He called behind him.

"Because…I miss you."

Sirius turned around and looked at Louise. She had a forlorn look on her face. "But I'm right here!"

Louise looked down at her bare feet, suddenly finding them much more interesting than Sirius. "I know that…. I just wish that you could stay here, with me. I don't want to go to Paris; I don't want you to go to London. I just want us to be here, together, forever. I miss you already."

Sirius approached her and grabbed her hand. Not for the first time that summer, he noticed the strange color of her right pinky. "It's a curse," Louise said, noticing Sirius' gaze.

"You've been cursed?!" Sirius looked at her with surprise.

"It's not like that," Louise shrugged. "My father has a ring that he wears all the time. An ugly gold one with a black stone. Last year I accidently brushed it with my pinky." She held up her hand in front of his face, giving him full view of the strange digit. "Apparently it's deadly if you touch it. Thankfully, the Aunts were there and were able to save me and now it's just contained to this one part of my body."

Sirius stared at her in open-mouthed shock. "You almost _died_?!"

Louise laughed at him. "Don't be so _dramatique_. It's just a finger."

Sirius' mouth opened and closed, trying to form words. Louise laughed at him again. "Come, I want to play on your toy broomstick again!"

Louise ran from Sirius, back up to the manor. At some time during their time together, she had charmed his toy broomstick to fly higher than its usual two feet limit and even though she rode it a strange way ("side-saddle" she called it), she was pretty wicked at it.

_This girl is crazy..._

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

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><p><em>Welp, there's the second part of the prologue! Some parts were inspired by the beginning of the 1998 film "Great Expectations" (specifically the kissing and dancing part). But other than that, it all came from my own head!<em>

_I tried to make it so that you pretty much knew what the French meant without me having to add in exact translations (use context clues, people!). But if you had any trouble please just use Google Translate and don't bother me with it lol._

_So favorite, follow, and review! You know you want to!_


	3. And Yet

_Here's the good news—that last chapter is the only one where you'll have to put up with my awful French lol. I am in the process of getting someone who actually speaks a little French to go over my work and make corrections as needed (and they are needed lol). By the way, if you're interested in making the changes yourself, don't hesitate to message me! When that's done I'll re-upload the previous chapter and I'll let you know when that happens. Don't worry, the actual content in the chapter won't change, just the French parts. I will, occasionally, pepper in a French word here and there, but nothing like what was in the last chapter. _

_I am so giddy about all the "Story Alerts" this story has gotten, even after just two chapters! Does a writer good to know her story actually has some interest factors lol._

_Well, here we are again. Prologue part 3, out of 4 parts. We're almost to the real part of the story! How exciting. This chapter is set three years after the last one. __**Enjoy!**_

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><p>Prologue, Part 3: …And Yet<p>

Summer 1968: Le Domaine le Clère, outside of Dreux, France

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

This time when the gates swung shut with a loud _CLANG!_, everyone in the car did a startled jump. Sirius looked out the window, keeping still and quiet, but jumping around inside. He was _finally_ coming back to see Louise after three long years. They were no longer little kids.

He wondered if she would still laugh at every little thing he did. If they would walk through the gardens and she would stop and smell every flower. If they would still waltz with Constance and Madame barking corrections at them in harsh French.

He wondered if she still smiled so bright.

"Oh my…"

Sirius looked up and saw the manor again…only it didn't really look like the manor. The grey brick seemed darker somehow. The windows didn't have flower boxes jutting from them. There even seemed to be some broken windows, like something was thrown through them and no one bothered to repair it. It made Sirius shiver.

Instead of the large party that had visited three years previous, it was just this small faction of the Black family: Orion, Walburga, Sirius, and Regulus. Orion had received an owl asking for them to return to Le Domaine le Clère so Sirius could keep Louise company. Sirius had been overjoyed to be asked back—he thought of Louise and their time together at least once a week. He had, just as she had predicted, been very bored just sitting at home in London, with nothing to do but think of that honey haired girl with the dark eyes and bright smile.

The car rolled into the circular driveway once again. Instead of a maid waiting to greet them, like last time, the place seemed deserted. The Black's exited their vehicle and made their way to the double doors. Orion raised the silver serpent door knocker (was that new?) and rapped twice. The hard sound of heavy metal against heavy wood resonated.

Sirius heard footsteps behind the door and suddenly Louise's father was there, holding the door open for them. "Ah, yes. Come in, come in. We've been expecting you."

The man had aged greatly. His once handsome face now had a sharp edge to it, his black hair was thinning. His dark eyes, Louise's eyes, seemed to bore straight into Sirius' mind and see his deepest thoughts.

The foyer was…dark. Heavy, dark curtains covered all of the windows. The floor looked like it hadn't been polished in months; there were scuffs on the stairs. Dust covered every inch of space available. It made him think of his own house in Grimmauld Place.

That wasn't exactly comforting.

"My Lord, how…nice to see you, again," Orion gave a small bow to the man. Both Walburga and Regulus gave small bows as well and Sirius, fearing another kick to the shins like last time, followed suit.

"You all will be staying in the East Wing; there was a small fire that damaged the rooms you stayed in last time. We are still rebuilding. I hope this is satisfactory." That was not a question, but more of a command.

"Oh, yes, My Lord," Walburga said. "Thank you so much for inviting us. It is an honor."

"My Louise has been looking quite down recently. I thought seeing her old friend might brighten her spirits." Again, Sirius felt those eyes on him, reading his deepest darkest secrets. "Ah, here she is."

Sirius looked up and Louise was there, standing at the top of the staircase. Only…she was different. She _looked_ the same, older of course, with the same honey hair and dark eyes. But no bright smile.

Her eyes were hard, she seemed to stare right through him, as if he wasn't even there—as if he didn't even matter. She descended the staircase slowly, mechanically, her eyes fixated only on the empty space ahead of her. "Father," she said. Her voice had lost its charm, it sounded lifeless and cold.

"Darling, I'm sure you remember your little friends," he said, motioning to Sirius and Regulus.

"I suppose," she answered, looking away.

This made the man chuckle. "Go be a good girl and take them outside."

"Yes, Father," she looked over Sirius, not a single trace of life in her eyes. "Follow me, please."

She turned on her heel and walked away, Sirius and Regulus trailing in her wake. The ballroom had cobwebs in the corners, dust settled on every available surface. The large windows brought in little light.

The courtyard was the worst of all; Regulus even gasped. The already cracked mosaic pieces were crushed into little pieces, mixing in with the dirt that covered every inch of the ground. The beautiful flowerpots were gone—all except one that looked like a hex had hit it. Dead roses and dirt spewed out from the broken pot. The fountain had stopped.

"What happened?" Regulus whispered to Sirius. Regulus looked almost scared.

Sirius was about to whisper back when Louise's cold voice cut in. "My father sees no need in keeping up with the maintenance of the manor."

Sirius looked at her but she was still walking, leading them out of the courtyard and into the deadened grass of the lawn. "What about Madame? Or the Aunts?" He asked.

Louise stopped dead in her tracks, but did not turn to look at the brothers. She looked up quizzically at the blue sky, seeming to enjoy a breeze that blew through the air. Still with that blank look she turned and looked at Sirius.

"They're dead," she said.

Sirius looked at her in shock, unsure of the correct words of sympathy to offer her.

Regulus looked at Louise uneasily, as if she were about to hex him into oblivion. "W—what about your mother?"

"Dead."

Sirius felt a strange charge in the air and was going to say how sorry he was for her loss (he had heard adults say that to other adults when someone in their family died) when Regulus asked more questions.

"When?...How?"

Louise looked back up at the sky, her eyes closed. "Two years ago. Some sort of illness they all contracted. Nothing could be done to save them."

Sirius then felt even _more_ bad for her. He thought about what it would be like to watch his whole family slowly waste away to an incurable illness. Leaving just an intimidating, cold, emotionless parent.

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

The day passed by rather awkwardly, if Sirius was going to admit it. There was no warm welcome, no game of wizard's chess or exploding snap, no dancing in the ballroom. No bright smiles.

Dinner was an uncomfortably quiet affair. Louise's father initiated all conversations, trying (and failing) to engage a nonverbal Louise in some sort of activity. Afterward, all the Blacks excused themselves to bed, feigning weariness from their day of traveling.

While walking down the hall to the bedroom he shared with Regulus, Sirius heard whispering. It was Louise and her father. Though the language was unfamiliar, the tone certainly wasn't and it made Sirius shiver. It was the same tone Walburga used when she was severely displeased with her oldest son.

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

"Sirius! Sirius, wake up! SIRIUS!"

Sirius was sweating profusely; he felt it must be a thousand degrees in the bedroom, he felt like he was on fire. Regulus was shouting at him to wake up. Sirius groggily opened his eyes and realized _he_ wasn't on fire…but the room sure was.

Sirius immediately jumped out of the bed and grabbed at Regulus who was on the verge of panicky-tears. "C'mon, we have to get out of here!"

Only the north and west walls were engulfed in flames, thankfully leaving the east wall (and the door) free for them to escape. In the hallway, even more flames ran up and down the walls, melting paintings and carpets.

"SIRIUS! REGULUS!" The boys heard their father calling for them and, indeed, Orion was there at the end of the hall, looking frantic. "Down here!" He shouted.

Sirius pulled Regulus and ran down the hall to his father, who motioned them down a side staircase that led to the kitchens. "Go through the back door and get as far from the house as you can!" Orion yelled after his sons.

Sirius did as he was told, the heat of the flames licking at his arms and legs and face. The smoke was unbearable, he was sure he would never breathe in fresh air again. He just kept going and going and going, pulling his brother along, his father not too far behind.

When he finally reached the fresh, night air, he allowed himself to slow down a bit, but still continued on until he reached his mother. She was in her nightdress, her hair in curlers. She made as if to hug him, but instead moved him aside and scooped Regulus into her arms. "Oh thank Merlin you're safe!"

Orion was bent over, his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "Magical fire. No amount of water or spells will put it out. I've never seen anything like it."

Sirius looked up at the fire engulfed manor. And then it dawned on him. "Louise!"

Sirius began to run toward the flames, hell-bent on finding his friend.

"Sirius! _SIRIUS!_"

He ignored his mother's bellowing voice and went back into the kitchen. Items were melting, Sirius heard pops and creaks as the house began to sag and tear against the strong flames. But he was on an important mission.

Though Sirius didn't know exactly where she would be, he knew he didn't have any time to try and figure it out. He began to run, just run.

He ran through the kitchen and dining room, the parlor and ballroom, the foyer, even the never-used downstairs bedroom. Though he initially was calling Louise's name, by the time he reached the ballroom he could no longer breathe. The collar of his night shirt was pulled over his nose and mouth, and he was beginning to get lightheaded.

By the time he reached the opposite end of the manor, he was on his knees. Sirius knew this was the end. Flames licked his knees, his feet, his hands. He felt more horrible than he could ever remember feeling. Then he heard someone humming.

He looked up, his eyes squinting against the heat. Through the flames he saw Louise, staring up at a portrait that was of her and her mother. He didn't recognize it and later realized that it was probably painted shortly before Adèle's death. "Louise…," he rasped out.

She turned sharply and even though he would later blame the flames and his condition, he was sure that her eyes were glowing red. She seemed to be completely untouched by the fire, her skin and clothes and hair were all just as they usually were. She walked over calmly, grabbed him by the arms, and pulled him off the floor. She ran her hands over his face and hair, his scarred palms. They all instantly felt better. Sirius looked at Louise's face. She was angry.

"You should not be here," she scolded. "This is not for you."

Then she ran through the house, exactly the way he had come, pulling him along. The flames no longer reached out for him, in fact, he didn't even feel any heat coming from them.

_Am I dead?_ He wondered.

Once again out in the hot night air, Louise shoved Sirius toward his crying family. "Leave!" She shouted. "Leave, and never come back!"

Before he could stop her, Louise ran back inside. Orion ran over and grabbed his son, who was about to go in after her. Sirius struggled against his father's grip, "Let me go! Let me _go_!"

"Sirius! Stop. She's gone…"

"NO! No, I won't let that happen… No…" Sirius broke down and began to cry in his father's arms.

_She's dead…_

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

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><p><em>My infinite thanks always go to my reviewers. So thank you to "Jay" and "Guest."<em>

_Jay—I knew my French was bad, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad! (After your review I had a friend of mine who speaks a little French read it. He told me why everything was wrong and wow…it really is atrocious lol.) Don't worry, I'm working on making it infinitely better. I also really liked the little romance between Louise and Sirius, I just think little crushes between kids are too cute lol_

_Guest—You're too sweet! Thank you for your review. I, too, was sick of seeing the "fifth marauder" as a character rather similar to Lily Evans' "Mary-Sue" persona. I'm hoping we don't see a lot of that here_

_lebarbe—This "lebarbe" is actually my boyfriend lol. I asked him to look over my French and he ended up just making an anonymous review. Sometimes he's just too cute_

_Remember to Favorite, Follow, and Review! Much love to you all._


	4. Surprise, Surprise!

_Hello again! This is the last part of the prologue, isn't that exciting?! I know I'm excited lol. If you read the seventh Harry Potter book, you're going to notice a few similarities to a certain part in that book. Also, certain parts of the first book may sound familiar. Just so you know, any dialogue said by the characters during those parts are exact quotes from the books, anything else written is mine. _

_This last part is set three years after the third one. **Enjoy!**_

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><p>Prologue, Part 4: Surprise, Surprise!<p>

1 September 1971: Platform 9¾, King's Cross Station, London, England

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

Sirius Black landed with a _thump_ into the cozy seat of the train compartment. He was _finally_ going to Hogwarts! Finally getting away from that nasty house with that nasty elf and his nasty parents. Especially his mother.

Walburga hadn't really felt it was worth her time to see her firstborn son off to school, so only Orion was there to see off Sirius. And when I say "see off," I mean that Orion simply took Sirius to the station, told him how to get to Platform 9¾, and said "See you at Christmas!...maybe."

If Sirius was being honest with himself, he was a little surprised that he'd gotten that much.

But Hogwarts! It was all Sirius had dreamed about since he'd gotten his letter on his eleventh birthday last October, practically a year ago. So much excitement for spells, and no supervision (except in class, of course), and _friends!_ Real live friends. Not just his stupid, whimpering brother trailing behind him all the time.

Though, he did have his cousins.

Andromeda was in her last year of Hogwarts and Narcissa was in her fifth year. Thankfully his cousin Bellatrix wasn't there…she'd make his life a living hell. Andy and Cissy were okay…after a quick smile and wave on the platform they had both disappeared, most likely to see their school friends who they hadn't seen all summer. They were also both in Slytherin.

Ugh.

Sirius hadn't said it to anyone aloud (who would have listened anyway?) but his greatest fear was to be put in Slytherin. He may look like a "Black" and have the name of a "Black," but that didn't mean he wanted to _be _a "Black." Just having that name was bad enough without being put in the same category as the whole rest of the family.

"Oi, anyone sittin' there?"

Sirius looked up to see a boy about his age, asking if he could sit in the empty seat across from him. "No. Help yourself." Sirius sat up a little straighter.

The boy had messy brown hair and glasses. He was well dressed in muggle clothes. He obviously hadn't wanted for anything in his life. Sirius liked him immediately. Together the two boys lifted the newcomer's luggage into the rack above their seats. Imprinted into the top of the trunk were the letters "JP."

"What does 'JP' stand for?" Sirius asked.

The boy stuck out his hand. "James Potter. Who're you?"

Sirius shook his hand. "Sirius Black."

They sat back down across from one another and looked everywhere but at each other. "Sooo…" James started. "You like Quidditch?"

The two immediately set about bonding over the latest Quidditch drama, namely that the Chudley Cannons Seeker had recently been discovered drinking some sort of lucky potion before their last game. The Cannons still lost, though.

Other students trickled into the compartment. Noticeably, a large boy who seemed intent to just pick dirt out from under his fingernails, a quiet boy who looked like he hadn't slept in weeks (who also had his nose stuck in a book), and a red-haired girl who was crying quietly in a corner. Probably missing her parents. Ha.

As James and Sirius talked more and more about Quidditch, they got louder and louder. Pretty soon, all other noise was drowned out.

"Slytherin?" Suddenly James looked over at the girl, who was now talking to a hunched, oily-haired boy who had just entered the compartment.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James looked over at Sirius with a smile teetering on the side of arrogance.

Sirius didn't smile back. "My whole family have been in Slytherin."

"Blimey…and I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius couldn't help but smile dreamily. "Maybe I'll break the tradition." It was something he had dreamed about over and over all year. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James shot up and pretended to wield a sword. "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

The oily kid snorted. James didn't like that. He turned his invisible sword on the newcomer. "Got a problem with that?"

The kid sneered. "No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—"

Now I sneered. "Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"

James burst out laughing and fell back into his seat.

The girl stood up in a huff, giving both James and Sirius obvious glares. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

The girl and boy walked past the rowdy boys and both made an "oooooo" sound as they went. Though, James got a good trip on Severus before they left. The door slammed shut behind them, but not before Sirius called out, "See ya, Snivellus!"

Sirius and James laughed until their sides hurt.

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Sirius began to get a little nervous. He was already in his robes and he followed the other boys in the compartment out into the corridor. There were certainly a lot of students…and why were they so _tall_? Did everyone take growth potions around here?

Finally the train sputtered to a stop and Sirius followed the other short-lings onto the dark platform. A booming voice was heard over the babbling of teenagers. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon, follow me—any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!"

Sirius was amazed at how…large this man was. "Must be a giant," he whispered to James. James nodded back.

All the first years followed the giant man down a slippery, steep path that led to a lake. He looked across it in amazement.

There was Hogwarts, in all her glory. It looked so…inviting. All of its many windows were cheerily lit, the many turrets and towers jutting proudly into the sky. _Home_, he thought.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The giant called.

Sirius and James climbed into a small boat with the two boys from their train compartment. Their names were Remus (the reader) and Peter (the nail picker).

"FORWARD!"

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius gulped nervously. He slowly made his way before the entire school and sat on the stool. He caught a quick glimpse of his cousin Andromeda giving him the thumbs-up from the Slytherin table before the hat plopped down on his head, covering his eyes.

"Ahh," said an unfamiliar voice in his head. "Another Black. Maybe Slytherin would do. But such a loyal young lad. Such potential. Perhaps Hufflepuff? No…too much fire in you. Well, then. Obviously, _GRYFFINDOR_!"

Sirius couldn't help but beam as the hat was lifted off his head and went to the hollering and clapping Gryffindor table where he was greeted with handshakes and claps on the back. He had done it. He wasn't in Slytherin.

He sat and watched the sorting, though it was somewhat boring. Mostly he looked around at the magnificent Great Hall and watched the dark clouds roll by in the enchanted ceiling that reflected the light breeze outside. Another Gryffindor was sorted, a girl named "Evans." The same girl from the train. Sirius attempted to smile at his new house-mate, but she just harrumphed and turned her back on him. He couldn't help but laugh.

And then he saw her. He felt his mouth drop open, and really wasn't too concerned about it.

It was the same honey hair, the same pretty face. She had long, pale legs. And her gaze was trained straight ahead, on their headmaster.

Louise…it had to be her. She was alive! Sirius couldn't believe it. All he wanted to do was jump up from his seat and run to her, but he felt glued to his spot. She was so beautiful….

But what if it wasn't her? It couldn't _really_ be her…could it? Besides, if it really was Louise, and he was now pretty sure it wasn't, wouldn't she go to some French magic school? Why would she even be here? Satisfied, Sirius relaxed and watched the rest of the sorting.

"le Clère, Chérie!"

Chérie le Clère? Then it really wasn't her… But wait. Louise's last name _was_ "le Clère." And Louise was only one of her names, she had five of them. But was one of them Chérie?

The girl approached the stool as all the other students had done. She was graceful, so delicate. She walked as if she moved through water. As if she was royalty.

She sat and the sorting hat was lowered onto her head. Almost instantly the hat called out: "_SLYTHERIN!_"

The Slytherin table clapped and cheered and the girl, Chérie, got up and walked over there. As if feeling Sirius' eyes following her, the girl turned and looked right at him.

_It's her._

_~~~~~The Fifth Marauder~~~~~_

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><p><em>Dun Dun Duuun! Louise is back! Only under the name Chérie. But why the fake name? Who knows...<em>

_Sorry if there are any grammatical or spelling errors, I didn't have the time I usually have to proofread. I wanted to get this chapter up before I left for a friends house and I didn't have a lot of time. Sorry! Please excuse a poor soul for wanting to watch the season finale of American Horror Story :(_

_See you all on Sunday for my next update!_


	5. Author's Note

Hello All!

I know most of you were expecting the new chapter of _Wait, There Was A Fifth Marauder?_ and don't worry, that's coming up later but I wanted to post this first.

So, unfortunately, my lovable laptop has a very aggressive virus that is preventing me from accessing any of my written works or plans. Trust me, this sucks as I can no longer access any of my school work, to-do lists, and pretty much everything I use to run my life.

As I said above, I can no longer access any of my written works. So, all of the chapters I had already written for this fic are pretty much gone (as well as all my well-laid plans for future chapters.)

Tomorrow I'm taking my laptop in to be fixed and they can hopefully rescue all my documents. If they cannot, then I will be a little slower in updating since I'll have to recreate everything from scratch. Hopefully, though, the updates will still be at least once a week. If they _are_ successful in recovering everything, I will post the next chapter as soon as I get my laptop back.

Either way, the next chapter will be posted Monday or Tuesday. Monday if they can recover it and I get it back, Tuesday if I need to make it from scratch.

Sorry about this everyone! I shall do my best to keep you all informed (and to keep the chapters coming!)

Your fellow fanfiction addict,

-skittles324


	6. Author's Note, Part 2

Hello again! I know, I know, you were expecting another chapter. Just letting you all know that I did indeed lose all the documents on my laptop. I'm going to use this week to try and make up for lost writings and attempt to recreate as much as I can, especially for this fic.

For this reason I will not be posting the next chapter until Monday (Feb 2nd). I know this sucks real real bad. Trust me, I know. But it will all work out in the end, pinky promise.

Until then, I am still faithfully yours.

-skittles324


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